


Wiles of Fate

by Tensai-Teki Kuroneko (TensaiTekiKuroneko)



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Harem, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bare minimal plot, Based on Draupadi & Pandavas, F/M, Five husbands, Gratuitous Smut, Hurt/Comfort, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Sorry, Inspired from Mahabharata, It felt good in my head, Loss of Virginity, NO HAREM ENDING, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Not Underage, Porn With Plot, Ritual Sex, Sex, Smut, What Have I Done, angsty sex, not ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22945996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TensaiTekiKuroneko/pseuds/Tensai-Teki%20Kuroneko
Summary: Never had she thought she'd be forced back to the throne that she had happily given up, and now with a condition she loathed with all her being. “I have to – I have to lie... with all the four of you within a month of ascending the throne,” said Yona.Chapters labelled by character. Last two chapters can be read for the smut by those HakYona fans uncomfortable with the premise.Warning: Gratuitous smut with bare minimum plot.
Relationships: Jae-Ha/Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Kija/Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Shin-Ah/Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Son Hak/Yona, Yona & Zeno (Akatsuki no Yona)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 94





	1. Currant (Hak)

**Author's Note:**

> The usual disclaimer.  
> Warning: Smut with harem. Everyone has sex. The plot is just there to facilitate the sex.
> 
> THERE IS NO HAREM ENDING. Hope that is clear from the first chapter.
> 
> Good stuff: As little OOCness as possible. Yona is 20 here.

**Wiles of Fate**

**_~ttk~_ **

**Chapter 1: Currant**

The dragons waited outside the entrance to the temple Yona and Ik-soo had entered. Jae-ha tapping his feet, Shin-ah petting Ao, and Kija nursing his fingers. The divine barrier at the doorstep had scalded them the moment they tried to go inside. They longed to enter, to see the source of their powers, but their longing to enter was ruthlessly crushed by the stinging pain they felt in the small patches of burnt flesh. Jae-ha bit his tongue, trying think of something else, when he noticed Zeno standing at the balcony, staring at the sunset instead of the door like the rest of them. His back felt sad, gazing at the ruins of the castle...it was once his home during the first king’s reign.

The castle walls were covered with soot, but major areas of damage had been swiftly repaired by limestone and gravel under supervision of the remaining castle guards. The servant quarters and the king’s chambers were the only places that were still standing. Looking further in, one could see the maids collecting the rubble that was strewn across the campus. Jae-ha could still smell the stench of blood in the air if he tried, but he was used to it. He actually admired how quickly Hak had reoriented himself to the job of getting the palace to what it was. Was it because there was no one else to do the job? He didn’t know.

He just couldn’t understand how anyone could forget the devastating civil war that had engulfed the palace just three days ago. It would haunt him for a long, long time.

“How are they working so hard right after the war?” He walked to where Zeno was standing, still looking at the ant-like figures hurrying along the paths they had created between the debris.

“I am sure a lot of them lost someone they loved...” he continued, as if making an excuse for his question.

Zeno turned a little to glance at him, and then went back to watching the people.

“I think they are trying their best to forget, just like us.”

Jae-ha ran his hand across his hair. “I don’t think I’d have that in me.”

“Something I learned through all these years,” said Zeno, stretching his hands up in the air, “is that the closer to death humans are, the more resilient they can be.”

Before Jae-ha could ask if Zeno meant anything else, Kija exclaimed bitterly, “We never wanted any of this. She did not fight for the throne just to prevent this bloodshed. Why did that rat, that -”

“Kye-sook.” Shin-ah muttered, his head elsewhere.

“I don’t care what his name is!” Kija retorted. Both Zeno and Jae-ha turned towards him, surprised to see his outburst.

“Hey, calm down. No one could have prevented this, but if she...if they want to resolve this mess, we will follow them to hell – that’s what we swore, after all,” Jae-ha coaxed him. Losing temper wouldn’t help any of them.

Kija took a deep breath. He hated, loathed, detested that man for using his own subordinates as human shields. He could still feel their flesh on his claws as he cut them down. The floor soaked in blood, the wails, and the way their eyes lost their shine as their lifeless body fell. He shivered and closed his eyes, trying to forget it like a bad nightmare.

“I am sure miss and mister will ensure nothing like this ever happens again... The people in the palace wouldn’t be listening to mister if they didn’t trust him, despite... despite all we did.

The door creaked as if on cue, revealing Yona, with Ik-soo following her. She looked at them for a moment, then bit her lips, clenching a scroll in her hand.

“I am sorry it took so long,” said Ik-soo, closing the door behind him. The dragons tried peeking inside, but couldn’t make out anything.

“Is there some problem?” Jae-ha asked Yona, who had been staring at the ground.

“Now, now, don’t trouble the miss,” Zeno chimed in happily, a stark contrast to the frown he had been sporting a second ago. “Let us have some tea first. Wouldn’t you like that, miss? A hot cup of sweet tea?”

Yona dipped her head imperceptibly. “I will show you the way.”

Having settled down, each of them sipping a cup of tea the maid had handed them. Yona felt the sweet liquid down her parched throat and regained her strength enough to speak. She had to – despite fighting her urge to run, she couldn’t. Not now, not when Kouka is at the brink of anarchy.

“Should I call for Hak?” Jae-ha asked, sensing her unwillingness.

“No!” Yona responded immediately. “No – I, I will tell him later. For now, I need to read it out to you all.”

She glanced at Ik-soo, who nodded, urging her to speak up. “You don’t have to read it all. Just telling them a general gist is enough.”

Yona took a deep breath and continued. “I can take the throne immediately.”

The dragons visibly relaxed on hearing this – the worst was over. If she was the one to rule, the kingdom will calm down. The people will not fight anymore, at least not most of them.

“But I need to do something.”

“We will help you with everything, princess. You can trust us,” said Kija, who had cheered up a little seeing an end to the violence in sight. Shin-ah nodded.

“I have to – I have to lie... with all the four of you within a month of ascending the throne,” said Yona. Just speaking those words had taken a toll on her as as she felt her mouth dry.

Jae-ha was the first to comprehend exactly what she meant. He was covered with cold sweat by the time realization dawned upon everyone in the room.

“You mean...you mean we have to bed..” Jae-ha asked. Surely he had heard it wrong? It was ridiculous!

Yona handed the scroll across the table, and Kija read it first.

“It is impossible...it is not our place...” Kija sputtered, having read the contents. Jae-ha took the scroll from him. Having read the contents, he handed it to Zeno, who passed it along to Shin-ah without even glancing at it. Shin-ah bit his lips.

“Is this a cruel joke?” Jae-ha asked Ik-soo, who was now tying the scroll close.

“I was there with King Hiryuu when he had received the commandments,” Zeno answered, the frown back in its place.

Yona who had been silently looking at everyone’s reaction, hated the fact that he knew and he hid it. Something like this? He could have told her! But when? How?

“If,” Zeno tried to explain, “if there was no war, if Mister King had not died, miss didn’t need to know it. I...didn’t think she had to.”

A heavy silence fell across the room. They wanted to say something but they knew that it wasn’t Zeno’s fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault – the second incarnation had to unite with each of the dragons in order to ascend the throne. Each of them had a lot to say, but they couldn’t. The situation outside was dire, and they knew what each of the would choose. Yona had been forced back into the palace after four years, just when she had learned to be content with nomad life.

“But... Hak.” Shin-ah said inaudibly – and the whole room stopped breathing. It felt like betraying a brother – there was no way to go around it.

Despite having romantic feelings for the former princess, Kija and Jae-ha had resolved to back away. Hak was family to them, and they were content with watching him blush and fumble around after her confession.

Yona finally spoke up. “I will...talk to him. He will understand.”

‘Yes, he will,’ thought Jae-ha. Everyone knew Hak would understand, but he shouldn’t have to. They couldn’t put him through something like that. As if he hadn’t suffered enough.

Their throats dry, and not being able to stomach any more tea – they sat there silently, not moving.

“I will leave now – Yoon has been handling the official documents on his own, I am sure he needs some help,” Yona said, and swiftly exited the room.

“I am sorry it has come to this, but I hope you don’t burden those two...” Ik-soo said, apologetically. He had spent his younger years fighting against premonitions, but you can’t. Nothing works.

* * *

Yona had taken her supper alone – forcing each and every morsel down. She couldn’t afford losing her strength. The coronation was tomorrow, but she needed to see Hak today. She couldn’t delay this – he had the right to know. She wanted him to know. With this thought, she ran out of her room.

The cold rough floor that would have once stung her delicate soles, felt a luxury compared to the forest grounds, the ravines, and the caves. The moonlight now felt foreign, as if something was not right. There were no crickets chirping around here, no fire crackling

Shin-ah and Kija putting up the tents. Jae-ha and Hak sorting the firewood. Yoon’s tiny snores that he would never admit to. Walking close enough to brush against Hak as she followed Zeno to the river in order to wash the dishes. Jae-ha whispering something funny to Hak and Hak -

She saw him standing near the trees below the veranda.

“The rebels have been contained to some rural patches, but they might get reinforcement from outside if the government is not in power soon,” the spy, she had assumed seeing the black silhouette and the mask, said.

“That will be alright. Once the ceremony tomorrow is completed, I will be visiting the disturbed areas, so let the village heads know.”

The man nodded and disappeared back into the shadow. Hak turned around.

“You are here, princess? Aren’t you cold?” He asked, and noticing her tired, heavy breaths, continued. “Is something wrong?”

With a jerk, she was brought back to the reality – reminding her of the ruins, the war, the scroll, and his departure. No one knew for how long he would be gone...it could take weeks, or months?

“Hak, would you follow me to my chambers?” She said.

Hak, sensing the urgency in her voice, did as she requested. As soon as he had closed the door behind them, she threw her hands around his neck and embraced him tightly. Hak buried his head on her shoulder, taking in a deep breath. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Seems like you have grown taller, princess.”

She didn’t reply, and just squeezed him tighter. He felt something amiss. “Is something bothering you?”

She gently let go of him, placing her hands on his chest, and leaned against his palms. Her eyes had turned red from holding back tears.

“Hak…” She met his eyes.

“Please sleep with me,” she said. It was the first thing that came in her mind – everything aside, she wasn’t the queen right now. She could love and lie with whosoever she wanted, and no one could object. She cannot leave this chance.

Hak bit his lips – those words had an intense effect on him, despite the fact that it had been years since her confession.

“But we decided we wouldn’t do that until the we-”

“Things have changed, Hak,” Yona interjected, waving at the scroll kept on the bedside table.

“I want you now.”

Hak, now perplexed, lowered her so her heels touched the ground and relaxed his grip. “Should I read it?”

Yona nodded, not meeting his eyes – feeling guilty for something she had no control over. It was tough to see Hak unfurling it carelessly, and then clenching the paper tightly as soon he read those words. The words she hated. If she could burn the scroll, she would. He turned towards her, opening his mouth but words failing him.

“I am sorry,” she whispered, and not able to take it anymore, she rushed towards him to hug him once more.

“I am sorry,” she cried, again and again. Hak did not know what to feel. Was he angry at the gods? Ik-soo? Soo won? That bastard Kye-sook? Yona? He couldn’t. He hated this – this, whatever it was, this dastardly game the gods seem to play on them, and that is all it was.

Yona’s sobs rang in his ears, and he threw the parchment with disgust on the floor. She hated it as much as he did, but he couldn’t even comfort her – how should he tell her he was okay with it? He wasn’t. He knew she wasn’t. Her tears now soaked his robe…his chest, his shoulders, his arms...or was it sweat?

‘Lets just run away. Elope. Leave everything.’

He wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t. Kouka was up in flames. How could his desire to monopolize the love of his life stand against the blood on the walls? It couldn’t.

He tightly held her. He couldn’t find it in himself to console her. After she had calmed down, Hak laid her down on the bed and sat next to her, still holding her hand.

“You should rest,” he said. “Tomorrow is a long day.”

She shook her head. “You’ll leave tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?” She was hesitant.

“I don’t know.”

“Hak...please sleep with me,” she pleaded. “I am scared… and if you are away, I don’t know how I will be able to handle all this.”

“The first time can hurt a little, princess…we can’t do that when you have so much to do tomorrow,” he said, trying to pry away his fingers

“I don’t care, not as long as it is you. Do you really not want to?”

Her eyes were not teary, and her bottom lip was quivering. He had been watching her for so long, and he still couldn’t stomach her tears. Hak bent down and blew the candles, immediately engulfing them in darkness. He unraveled their fingers.

“How could I not?” He whispered next to her ears and kissed her, his familiar taste spreading in her mouth as she reciprocated, exploring his mouth. She etched everything about him to her memory, as if it was the last time she would see him.

For once, she promised herself, for once she’ll stop thinking about everything else.

They had been kissing continuously, hardly stopping for a second when they ran out of breath. Hak climbed on top of her, as she felt his knees brushing her thigh. She felt the weight of his firm chest against her fingers. She slid her fingers down to his sash, as she untied the knot hastily. As soon as cold air hit his chest, Hak broke the kiss.

“Too hasty today, aren’t we, princess?” He teased, still breathless.

Till now, she had been desperate – to feel him – his chest, his lips, his hair – but when she saw bare-chested Hak sitting on top of her, and heard his playful voice she had learned to hate and to love, she could feel all her worries dissolving. She blushed, deeply embarrassed. What was she doing? She was looking at the man she loved. She was kissing him. She was untying his robe. There was nothing to hold them back anymore.

She chuckled, smiling after a long, long while.

He pulled off the robe and asked lovingly. “Isn’t it your turn now?”

He tugged her sash a little but she caught his fingers and took his hand to her lips. She kissed it and said in a low voice, “Come here, Hak.”

He bent down again, and she clasped her arms around his neck.

In between kisses, she spoke, “I love you so much.”

And she repeated, “I love you.”

Entwining their fingers, he finally slid his lips down to her nape. Yona shivered when he bit her neck.

Her robe had come undone. He bit at the string holding her brassiere, from her left shoulder and then the right, as the clothing slid down her waist. Her nipples perked in cold air, and she felt Hak’s rough fingers lightly brushing against them while he kissed her shoulders.

He proceeded to knead them gently, his touch no longer foreign to her. He lowered himself and kissed her breasts, massaging one while sucking on the other, soaking in her taste. Her hands now free, she took them out of her robe and freed herself – twisting beneath him at each flick of his tongue.

“Ha-” she mewled when he bit her breasts, one at a time. “Hak,” she repeated, gasping for breath.

“Hmmm?”

She pulled him back up and kissed him. After another small peck, he slid her underwear down and rubbed her with his fingers, slowly, at the top and then at the entrance. She slid her lips to his neck and bit him, as he played with her.

She tightened her legs and brought them together, trapping his hand between her legs. She searched for his pants and undid them with her fingers, as she felt his member, standing upright in her hands. He slid his arms beneath her, and she felt his fingers running down her back, up to her hips.

She ran her fingers down the length and felt Hak’s muscles tense.

“Is it alright?” She asked.

He explored her more, rubbing her, now feeling each of her thighs. He slipped his fingers in, moving downwards to find her opening. Finding it wet, he whispered, “May I?”

“Yes,” she purred, and kissed him again – she could not get enough of his kisses tonight.

She brought her hands back to his neck, and let him push her legs apart. He now had both his hands clutching her hips.

“This can hurt,” he said, quietly. “I don’t think it should, now. Let me know if it does.”

She nodded, and he entered her slowly.

“Go ahead,” she said, and he pushed further, until she grimaced. He struggled to stop himself.

“Does it hurt?”

She clenched him tightly, and said, “It...is uncomfortable, but not too much.”

He understood, and her until his whole length had entered her. He slowly increased his speed, breathing heavily with each thrust. Yona struggled to keep her wits about her as each time he pushed inside. She felt a wave of feelings overcoming her – her shame forgotten, she moaned.

“Yona-” he called out, his eyes clouded with desire, gazing into hers, and with one final gasp, he released the tension. She melted in pleasure with another thrust.

Hak rolled to her side, watching her as her heavy breathing slowed. He covered her in a blanket, snuggling into her.

The next morning, Yona, who was still half-asleep, rolled across the bed, trying to avoid the sun. She felt something hard, and blinked her eyes, forcing herself awake.

“Good morning, princess,” Hak greeted her, with a characteristic smirk.

His voice brought the memories of last night back to her and she buried herself further into his chest.

“What is the time?” She asked after some time.

“You still have an hour before you need to wake up.”

She kissed his chest in reply.

“Want to have another go? We can make it I think,” Hak muttered playfully.

“No,” she replied. “Just stay like this.”


	2. Cinnamon (Jae-ha)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consensual but angsty sex.

Chapter Two: Cinnamon (Jae-Ha)

The ceremony was completed without a hitch, and the public in the capital had been invited to witness it. It wasn't very extravagant, with most of the decorations recycled from the previous ceremonies. It was a coronation hosted out of necessity, and they made sure that the message was sent across. Despite a few critics, most of the population was satisfied and resumed their daily activities. Hak, once satisfied with the reports he received, made preparations to visit the rebellion hotspots.

He had left her chambers after one final kiss, unable to offer her any last words of comfort. Despite his best efforts to not blame anyone, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Nevertheless, she understood and held him until they heard the footsteps of the maids, coming to prepare her for the morning. He left through the window like a wild teenager, which made her chuckle. That's a sight she never thought she'd see.

After one final check with Yoon who had been holed inside the makeshift office at the servant quarters, Hak left. As soon as he left the main road, unseen by anyone, he came across Jae-ha, who had his back against the wall, presumably waiting for him for quite some time. He did not want to meet the dragons – for a second after reading the commandment, he had wished they didn’t exist. He had been feeling guilty over that thought all night. He had avoided them throughout the day in hopes of not saying anything he would regret later.

“Hak, I wanted to tal-”

“I really don’t want to talk.” Hak dismissed him with a wave, but Jae-ha blocked his path.

“No. Listen -”

“I don’t want to, at least not right now.”

“Hak, I am sorry, and we all are sorry. We would never do this to you...not if we could help it.”

“I know,” Hak spat out. “I know but that does not change the fact that you have to. I am not angry at you, or at the princess – I am trying not to be.”

“Trust me, Hak. Trust me, we hate this as much as you do. I wish I could explain how terrible we all feel.”

Hak’s eyes stung. “I get it.”

“I am sorry. I am so, so sorry.”

Jae-ha stepped towards him and hugged him. Hak couldn’t get himself to hug back, so he let his arms fall loosely by his side.

“I wish you would just hit me,” he said.

“…I need to go,” Hak said.

Jae-ha let go of him and stepped back.

“Alright. Please be back safe.”

“I will,” Hak said, and after a pause, he continued. “Take care of her.” He was glad he wasn't around to witness anything.

Jae-ha nodded, and looked at his retreating back as he joined the people waiting for him. Once his silhouette was out of sight, Jae-ha went back to the palace.

Each of them had taken over the duties of the palace. Kija was handling the rebuilding process of the city, and Shin-ah was helping Yoon with the general administration. Zeno had been assisting in renovating the palace campus, with the gardens and the court and the like. Jae-ha had taken over Hak’s activities – looking for signs of sabotage, negotiating with the rebels and looking after the law and order of Kuuto. Ik-soo had busied himself with runes in the temple. Yona had, of course, been handling all the tasks and coordinating the activities across the country.

They drowned themselves in work to avoid facing the reality, and their attempts had succeeded. They had almost forgotten about it. It wasn’t until one of the general meetings had been interrupted by Ik-soo were they forced to face it.

“It wouldn’t get easier by waiting, your majesty,” Ik-soo advised her, gently.

Yona, who was now used to speaking without a tinge of emotion, responded. “I understand.”

“I guess we can start tomo-, I guess today,” she said, bracing herself. The longer she put it off, the harder it would get. Seeing everyone waiting for further instructions, she swallowed. The crown on her head suddenly felt so much heavier.

“I don’t have any particular choice. Please settle it within yourselves.”

She was trying to detach herself from this situation, so Ik-soo covered for her. “Please rest in the chambers, then.”

She left them alone after that.

The discussion never happened. After an hour or so had passed, Jae-ha stopped trying to make sense out of that stupid intelligence report he had in his hand.

“I will go,” he said. The rest of them nodded – he was good with words, and he had the most experience. He’d have to do.

Jae-ha leaned back into his seat while the rest of them left to their own chambers. He didn’t eat much, and waited until the nightfall. After the guards had completed their rounds for the night, he slipped into the corridor and knocked at her door.

She opened it, and closed it as soon as he entered. It was dark since the lights were now out. Yona went back to sit on her bed, and Jae-ha stood there awkwardly, trying to make out her expression in the moonlight.

After a while, she patted next to her. “You can sit here.”

He sat down at the other corner of the bed.

“Are you alright now?” He asked, with a concerned voice.

“As alright as I can be,” she said. “If it has come to this, then it has to be done.”

“I… I met Hak,” Jae-ha said as he watched her meet his eyes for the first time that night.

“The morning he left. He...understands. I asked him to hit me, but..”

“It is not your fault,” she whispered, “he wouldn’t hurt you.”

Jae-ha acquiesced. Yona looked at the moon shining through her window, her mind wandering to Hak, and then back to the golden parchment laid out on the table.

“It is no use waiting the whole night. Let’s do it,” she said.

“Is it your...first time?” Jae-ha asked. “I need to know because-”

“No, no – Hak and I… I mean we did it the day before he left,” she confirmed.

Jae-ha relaxed his shoulders. It was better this way.

“I...I know you wouldn’t want to, but you will have to enjoy this,” he said softly.

“I will try to,” Yona responded after some thought. How was she supposed to block it from her mind and yet enjoy it?

“Can I kiss you?” He asked.

She nodded. Jae-ha took a deep breath and leaned towards her, kissing her. Yona resisted a bit, but she soon allowed him to explore her mouth.

She lied down and Jae-ha took her right hand into his left as he bent towards her. Jae-ha broke the kiss when he felt her purse her lips, and said, “I...love you, Yona. I never said it, but I do.”

Yona felt guilty because she had held back. It is something no one was comfortable with, but was it their fault? Jae-ha would feel terrible if he felt like like he was forcing himself on her. She had to want this, if only for those damned gods to finally leave her alone. She relaxed herself by taking a deep breath, and then leaned forward. She met his lips, kissing him a bit more aggressive this time. Jae-ha bit her lower lip as she felt his hot breath on her face.

“If it helps,” he whispered in her ear. “Think that we are teaching you...the art of pleasure.”

Yona understood what he was trying to do. He was taking her focus away from the guilt she felt and gave her an objective. It was a cowardly move – a cop out, but it could work.

He felt her nod, and then felt her palm on his cheek as she brought their lips together again. She felt the tug on her sash, and soon he had her robe loose.

“So...let me start by explaining the basics.” He brushed his teeth against her neck and leaving a mark. She shivered. “The bite here will stimulate you...both men and women.”

Yona clasped her fingers around his neck and kissed his neck, once and then bit him. He was now over her, so she could feel his member brushing against her undergarments. Soon he was unraveling the threads and her breasts came in his view.

She felt him staring at them for a moment and blushed.

“Kneading it generally feels nice,” he said, as his fingers traced the outline of her nipple, “but this part is a bit more sensitive,” he added, as he flicked it with a finger.

She trembled beneath him as she felt her lower region moisten.

“Now,” he brought his fingers to his own robe, and she explored his chest. It was rough, but hard. She traced his chest and pushed his robe away, leaving it in full view. She looked at his muscles, tracing them from his shoulders to his arms. She then bent and kissed it.

Jae-ha shuddered. He said, “That is a sensitive area for men.”

She smiled dryly. “I figured as much.”

“Can I?” She asked, while tugging at his waist. He nodded, and soon she had his member in full view. She traced it gently, feeling the veins in her hand. He winced, and she looked at him questioningly. He leaned on her side and adjusted himself.

“It feels good if you...rub it up and down,” he said. She did as he said, slowly wrapping her fingers around it, growing bolder with every move.

“Sometimes...you even take it in your mouth,” Jae-ha told her, but stopped her when she asked if she should.

“It helps in the stimulation, but...well, you’ve already done a good job on that.”

She laughed, as she rubbed it once more. Some of the liquid that leaked was left on her hands. She brought it to her mouth, instinctively, and licked it. It tasted a bit salty, but not bad. Jae-ha gulped, trying his hardest to control himself.

“Now, now – let us work on you,” he said, and he uncovered her legs. Tracing her thighs, he gently stimulated her as desire pooled between her legs. Yona shook when he traced the outline of her cleft and rubbed the upper part of it.

“This...is the clitoris. It helps in orgasm,” he said, and he bent and rubbed it with his finger. Yona jolted.

He explored her over and over and put a finger inside. “It won’t feel uncomfortable when well lubricated,” he said.

He pushed in another finger, and rubbed her, while supporting her back with his other hand. He pulled her up until she was sitting in his lap.

She once tried rubbing his member, but soon lost control as he edged her further and further, until she came. Jae-ha held her, supporting her. When she regained her senses, the first thing she could feel were the sheets beneath her which were soaked.

“And that was the climax, the orgasm. That is what it feels like,” he explained.

“It was incredible,” she said, almost inaudible.

Jae-ha smiled. “Do you want to stop now, or shall we continue?”

“Jae-ha,” Yona mumbled, “continue.”

She felt his pants and pushed them down. He helped, but then stopped on seeing his green scales visible.

“What happened?” She asked.

“Nothing, nothing, it is alright. I will keep them on.”

Yona, however, saw through him. She got up, and tugged his pants down, tracing the scales on his thigh, shining like emerald in the white glow of the moon.

“They are beautiful,” she said, as she slowly outlined each one of them and reached his ankles. She traced each of his toes.

“I...hate them.”

As soon as those words left his lips, Yona bent down and kissed his knee. “I know, but I don’t. This foot has saved us so many times, and it connects you to me. It means a lot to me,” she whispered, still not completely in control.

Jae-ha, who had been holding back tears at this point, couldn’t resist kissing her again. He turned her towards him, so now she was sitting on his lap, and ran his fingers through her hair. She responded in kind. He kissed right between her breasts..

Feeling his member against her, she said. “Should we?”

“I guess you know the basic position? Where we face each other and lie down?”

“Yes,” she spoke and kissed his forehead.

“There’s another method...which I have heard brings a lot of pleasure...but it is a bit… unconventional.”

“I want to know,” she mumbled, as she traced his lips with a finger.

“So,” he whispered, now hesitant, “you need to kneel down on the bed...and bend forward, balancing yourself on your palm.”

She got off him, and put herself in position.

“If you feel uncomfortable, let me know...we can change anytime.”

“Yes...”

He stood on the bed behind her, kneeling, and parted her thighs gently as to not make her lose her balance. He rubbed her until it again. She trembled at his touch. Since she was already wet because of her climax earlier, he traced the entrance with his member, asking for consent one more time.

He held her hips as he entered her in one swift thrust. She moaned and lurched under him, as he settled into a rhythm. He bent down and gathered her breasts in his hands and whispered down her neck, “Can I go faster?”

Yona, who had been overcome with feeling him prodding inside her, made sounds she never thought she could. Each thrust made her lose her herself, and she was barely holding herself together by his support and her palms. “Yes,” she requested him with urgency. “Yes,” she said again, and she felt his member bulging inside her.

Jae-ha, who had been feeling her tighten around him, jerked back once again and with one final thrust, released his seed within her. She fell forward, feeling the traces of her fluids leaking out of her. Jae-ha dropped to a side, where he lay until he had brought his breathing in control.

He didn’t know what to say, so he did not move until he felt as though she had turned over and fallen asleep. Seeing an opportunity, he got up and picked her up, putting her onto a side and covering her with a blanket.

Yona was woken up by the gong of the clock they kept in the palace. She opened her eyes, and saw Jae-ha dozing on a chair next to her. Feeling embarrassed, she brought her blanket up to her face. Another gong woke him up and he woke up to see her staring at him.

“Hey...uh, good morning,” he said.

“Good morning,” she murmured.

“I waited until you woke up to give you...this,” he pointed at the bedside table. There was a glass jar was filled with an olive green powder, and a cup.

“It...is a contraceptive – I got it from Yoon...no, don’t worry, he thinks it is for one of my dates.”

“While...it is impossible,” he paused a little, unable to find words. “...for you to have a child with one of the dragons, I thought it would put you at ease.”

She nodded, “Thank you, Jae-ha. For this...and for last night.”

“I will leave now. The maids won’t come today, they have been kept busy with the temple so join us for the routine when you feel like it.”

He left. Soon after, she got up, still huddled inside the blanket, with her chin resting on her knees, and drank the bitter liquid with small sips.

It might be the worst thing she had ever tasted, but it was still comforting to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I'd smash him.


	3. Lavender (Kija)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with Kija's history.

**Chapter 3: Lavender (Kija)**

The next week, it was Jae-ha who approached them with the topic. Ik-soo bringing it up would make it difficult for them, and he was in the best position to talk. Zeno had declined, immediately. Shin-ah, while he had memorized the basics, was still too passive for her. He blocked Kija’s return to his room that evening.

Faint orange glow covered the corridor. All they could hear were the sounds of birds, and of footsteps getting fainter and fainter as the activities were halted for the day.

“No, not this time. You know how difficult it is for me,” Kija protested, when he was made the offer.

Jae-ha pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Zeno refused. You know why. Shin-ah...will find it difficult too.”

“What makes you think I will be able to? It is not like we all have your level of experience with this... _thing_ ,” Kija retorted. The stress had been getting to him.

“But you mentioned once that you were trained in serving this way,” Jae-ha replied, trying not to trigger him.

Kija stared at him, wishing himself away. Of all abilities, he envied the way Jae-ha could just run away whenever he wanted...

“I was, I was...” He covered his face with his hands. “I loved her. I wanted this...but not in this way. I can’t do this to them.”

“Do you think I wanted to? I wanted to run away just like you,” countered Jae-ha. “I love her too, as much as you did, but can’t you see you are making it harder for her this way?”

Kija did not reply. He knew what he had to do, and he knew Jae-ha was right. Kija couldn’t face them after this – and after a long while, he relented.

“Can you help me avoid her after this?” He finally asked, helplessness reflecting in his eyes.

“I get it,” said Jae-ha, and sighed deeply. “You can stay in the capital instead of the palace. I will prepare a place for you. That is all I can do.”

Kija nodded, and Jae-ha left him alone to his thoughts soon after.

The next night, Yona wanted to be done with the topic as soon as possible, so she was the first to bring it up. Ik-soo was no longer present as he had been devoting more and more time to the shrine.

“I will...be waiting in my chamber today,” she said.

“I will be there,” Kija mumbled.

He quietly approached the window and knocked, hiding himself in the shadows to avoid the patrolling guards. A soft voice confirmed inside and he climbed through the window, balancing himself on the table kept right next to it. However, he had not anticipated the scroll that his knee bumped into, making him lose his balance and fall crashing down onto the floor.

The commotion brought the guards immediately to her door.

“Is there an issue, your majesty? We heard a sound,” they asked. Yona and Kija stared at each other, befuddled, until there was another knock. She motioned him to hide beneath the bedspread. As soon as he tucked himself in, she opened the door, looking annoyed.

“My documents just fell off the table,” she pointed to the scroll on the ground. She was getting used to acting reserved – despite her hair, the people were still skeptical of a woman ruling them. The guards, however, were polite – selected by Hak himself to guard her private chambers. She raised an eyebrow when a junior guard tried to peek inside.

“We apologize for the disturbance,” they said, and bowed. Yona shut the door, and kept quiet until the noises faded away.

“You can come out now, Kija,” she said warmly, a sharp contrast to her anger before.

Kija slowly lifted the bed cover and sat up. “I am sorry, princ-, your majesty.”

“You can call me that when they are not around,” she said pointing at the door.

“I didn’t think you’d choose the window or else I would have cleared the table,” she said, sitting next to him. Kija immediately got up, nervous, but she held his hand and pulled him down.

“You can sit here,” she laughed, dryly.

“I am glad you came that way though, that was funny.”

Seeing her act this way relaxed him. He smiled a little, but his head was soon filled with the same thoughts that had been troubling him the whole time.

“Are you okay with all of this?” He asked her, and instantly berated himself. She had already done this once, so how could he ask her?

Yona, who had been pushing it all to the back of her mind, replied, “More or less. Jae-ha...helped me quite a bit.”

There were certain times over the last few nights where she would ache and be wracked with guilt, but Jae-ha’s advice made things better for her. She loved and trusted all of them, and while she had not anticipated seeing this side of them, it shouldn’t have to be a punishment. As for Hak...they’ll have to figure it out, somehow. At least that's what she told herself.

“Have you have done this before?” She questioned, “It helps...to know.”

“In my village, they teach us to serve our master in all ways,” he said quietly, “and that includes...this.”

He saw Yona staring at him. Panicking because he was unable to decipher her expression, he continued incoherently. “I never had any ulterior motive, it is just that they prepare us to expect anything and -”

Yona was taking in how beautiful he looked, with his soft skin and white hair shining in low light. She pulled him towards her, and grabbed his collar on the other side, crashing his lips with hers.

“It is alright,” she murmured, “I know.”

He balanced himself by propping his dragon arm on one end, and grabbing her waist by the other. Once her hands were free, she held his cheeks, tilting her head upwards to meet his gaze. Kija, who had been holding his desires in deepest part of his heart for years, felt the dam break and he kissed her back with fervor, taking her breath away. Her lips were so lovely, and the way her nose brushed against his...

She leaned back to support herself with the pillow as he lay next to her. She broke the kiss, but her fingers remained entangled in his hair. She felt his heavy breaths on her shoulder, now bare because her robe had slipped low. He had his arm resting on her abdomen, and he panicked as soon as he realized that.

Before he could move away, she turned towards him, her cleavage in full view. He gulped. She slid her fingers down his bandaged palm, and asked, “Can I remove this?”

He brought it closer to her hand in response, now lying on his back. She undid the bandages with both her hands, revealing the white scales. They gleamed in the low light, like little wet pebbles on the riverside. She entwined her fingers with his, enveloping his hand.

They were lying side by side, as she traced his knuckles and the joint of his fingers. She filled her head with thoughts of how pained he had looked as he was forced to slice through the soldiers...

Kija, feeling this gentle caress, felt his heart rate increase. His hand was sensitive to touch, and her slow strokes made it even more difficult for him. He whispered, “Princess – I...”

Brought back to their circumstances, she pulled his hand to her mouth, giving it a peck, and placed it on her right breast. Kija, feeling the soft mound under him, instinctively gave it a small squeeze. She brought her legs together, both her toes locked together to avoid making a sound. He slid his hands under the robe, and pushed her brassiere upwards, making direct contact with her skin. She blushed, feeling his soft scales over her nipple. He moved his hands to caress both her breasts, one after the other. He was hesitant, but now that the princess had given him explicit permission, he couldn't stop anymore.

Climbing on top of her, he pulled the sash, disrobing her swiftly. She held his shoulder, and bent forward, as he helped her remove her sleeve one after the other. Finally completely bare, except for her undergarment, she leaned back with her hands still clasping his waist. She stared at him, feeling his hands over her navel.

She tugged his collar, saying, “Kija...”

He removed his own robes, and she pulled him down for another kiss. Tracing his back, her fingers grazed a deep scar.

“Does it still hurt?” She asked him.

“Not by touching, but if you press it...” He didn’t continue, choosing to meet her swollen lips again. Kija was overwhelmed simply by her kisses. To feel her body heat, to be able to hug her… I hated how much he wanted it, but if she asked for it, he would give it to her.

She caught him by surprise as she disentangled the strings of his pants, revealing his member. Enveloping it with her fingers, she slid her fingers down the length, again and again, as it bulged and throbbed between her palms. It was too much for him.

“Princess,” Kija pleaded.

She nodded, and brought her legs apart. “Do you prefer it this way,” she asked, nervous, “or from the back?”

Kija took her left hand, and pulled it, turning her to a side. “The way...we were taught...for women,” he said, still drunk on lust, “was on the side.”

Yona loosened her grip as he leaned towards her back, now spooning her. She felt his member pulsating between her thighs, pushing them apart. It was a strange sensation, but the feeling made her sex ache with desire. He pulled her close, so his scales brushed under her, and he brought them to her breast. She felt his breath down her nape as he bent down to kiss it.

He gave her breasts another pinch, and her hands wandered back to his member, stroking the base. She felt its heat between her thighs more with every passing second.

“Kija...I want you,” she murmured. He pulled her thighs apart, holding one up, wrapping his fingers around it. It made her bite her lips in anticipation. Now unable to think anything else, he brushed her entrance. She felt the tip of his sex at hers, and she turned her head towards his, as if to give him the permission. With another kiss on her shoulder, he pushed himself inside.

Her back arched, and her whole body trembled with each thrust. Kija used another hand to rub her, as her heart beat faster. She tightened around him, and Kija, who had been on the edge, pushed himself deeper, now bringing her legs together to stimulate her further. His hands were now pressing down at the top of her opening. She felt her heartbeat reverberating in her ears, as she inched closer.

With a final jolt, she climaxed, Tightening around him pushed him over the edge, and he released himself inside her womb. She turned over, with her head still filled with a fog.

Kija, whose cheeks were now flushed, felt his lust erode away as he glanced at the sky. His senses returned to him. A reality that he had satisfied himself with had shattered – and now he had to pick up the pieces back again. Things had to go back to normal for them after this, and he didn’t know how. He had the assurance from Jae-ha, but he couldn’t bring himself to think what she had in mind. He couldn’t blame her even if she hated him after this.

Yona, who had been lying naked on her stomach, soon felt Kija covering her with a soft cotton muslin.

Lying near Yona was making it difficult for him to think. He couldn’t take it any longer, and said; “Princess, I need to go.”

She turned around, taking care to cover herself fully with the blanket.

“You can stay...” She told him.

He shook his head. “I won’t be able to...”

“Alright then,” Yona responded, grateful for his consideration. He got up and dressed himself haphazardly in the dark.

“Be careful by the window,” she said.

Smiling bitterly, he replied. “I will take the door this time. Goodnight, princess.”

She smiled back, and lay there until she heard the door creak back in place. She stared at the ceiling for hours until sleep finally graced her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine not a lot of people are happy with the term "member", but that was the only term that could fit in this context in my head. I'll do better next time.
> 
> There will be two chapters next week.


	4. Mulberry (Shin-ah)

**Chapter 4: Mulberry (Shin-ah)**

Shin-ah had been a great help to Yoon in handling the administration. His mask intimidated the officials, and they rarely questioned his orders, making it easy for Yoon to maintain his hold over them while being way younger.

It wasn’t that Yoon was burdened with work, and if you asked, he’d quickly tell you it was a piece of cake for him. Something bothered him, however. He had sensed a general unease between the dragons and Yona, but everyone had assured him he was overthinking it. Dissatisfied still, Ik-soo was the one he approached after he could take it no more. Shin-ah was jittery and his work had been suffering, so that was a valid excuse. He barged in inside the shrine where Ik-soo had busied himself with grinding some herbs.

“It's nothing,” Ik-soo consoled him. “They are just busy with the rituals.”

“Yeah, pretty busy considering Jae-ha took a whole jar of special medicine from me for his date,” Yoon retorted.

“You are old enough to know that such establishments are a good source of information,” Ik-soo said nonchalantly, adding dried beetroot to the mixture.

Yoon sighed, knowing he’d be getting nothing out of Ik-soo. Still, at least he could do something about Shin-ah?

“Shin-ah is acting a bit weird these days. Is there something you can do?”

Ik-soo tilted his head, his voice as clear as it had always been. “He would get better in a few days, I believe. Sometimes proximity to the shrine causes an adverse reaction.”

“That can happen?” Yoon was skeptical.

“First tenet of medicine,” Ik-soo said, finally looking at him. “Everything is toxic in large doses. Did you forget, Yoon-kun?”

“I-,” Yoon mumbled. His cold tone had stung him. “Forget it.”

After his departure, Ik-soo spoke up. “It might get difficult for her if you hide it any longer.”

Zeno, who had been hiding in the shadows, nodded.

He visited Yona the same evening. Shin-ah had backed out, she presumed – it was either him or Zeno now. The night was warmer than usual with the occasional cold breeze, and the rebellion in the east had not yet been quelled. The workload was increasing day by day while she was still learning the ropes. She was looking at the distant lights from her terrace – the capital was quiet. A relief.

“You know why this was mandated by the first king?” Zeno asked her, out of the blue.

“To torture us, I suppose,” Yona replied, the stress putting an edge to her voice.

“No, not really,” Zeno answered in good humor. “It was because the affection that the dragons feel for you is instinctual. While the first Hiryuu had the benefit of an emotional connection to them, his successors don’t have the same advantage.”

“Sexual intimacy is also derived from instinct, and to resolve the tension, this...commandment was designed,” he continued, receiving no answer.

Yona, who had been hanging on to Jae-ha’s flimsy excuse, burst out. “You mean to tell me that this is something we wanted? To do this to-”

She said no further, tears threatening to spill out. Despite everything else, she was ashamed – she was supposed to enjoy it, and she had, but she didn’t want to. Every morning, guilt plagued her. Is it even worth doing this? Was this flimsy kingdom worth him? She wasn’t sure anymore. Events of the two nights hounded her, and the fact that she got drunk on pleasure mortified her.

“Not you...but the dragons did, despite their disinclination to feel so,” he replied, softly.

“To want to make love to the red dragon is an instinct we have, regardless of,” his voice now barely audible, “how much we love anyone else.”

Yona fell on her knees, covering her face with her hands. Zeno could hear her sobs, but could do nothing to console her. He knelt beside her, forcing himself not to touch her shoulder.

“To free the dragons, you have to love them and accept them – release their desires,” Zeno whispered when her tears slowed down. “Release them from this curse so they can finally be free.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” She questioned, her voice hoarse.

“Shin-ah...he would need your push.”

She dissolved into another fit of tears. He accompanied her quietly – for how long? He didn’t know. He was miserable himself, but it was not the time to compare. He leaned against the palisade, feeling grateful that the chief designer of the palace had chosen to keep them opaque. A nice chap he was, Zeno mused, distracting himself from his helplessness.

He had left her alone that night on her request. The next day, she dismissed the meeting early. Sitting on her bed, in her night robe that she had changed into hastily, she waited. However, even long after the guards had retired, she heard no sound.

Shin-ah had been allotted a room in the royal chambers because the servants were terrified of him – she knew this. They had to do this today, she thought, and she had to initiate it. ‘For the innocent people, for the kingdom, for the dragons,’ she reminded herself, and left her room, blocking any thoughts of relief. On reaching his, she knocked, but found the door open, so she slipped inside.

Shin-ah was sitting on his bed, in a simple shirt. He glanced towards her in surprise.

“Why didn’t you come?” She asked him, carefully hiding any hint of annoyance in her tone.

“I...I couldn’t,” he murmured, turning his eyes away from her.

She knew what he meant – he couldn’t do this to Hak. Like Zeno had mentioned, she’d have to push him.

“I couldn’t either,” she said, sitting beside him and taking his hand into hers. “But it is important. For your sake, for the sake of this country, and for the people he cares about too.”

Shin-ah nodded. He had been a nervous wreck for the past week. He did not dislike intimacy, not with the princess, at least, but it was something you do with a lover. He...was not her lover. He had been pilfering those kinds of books from the library on Jae-ha’s advice. ‘If you keep it back before anyone notices, it isn’t stealing,’ Jae-ha had said, trying to lighten the mood, but nothing helped with the pangs of guilt.

“I love you, Shin-ah, and everyone does – and he does too. Nothing can ever change that,” she said.

She got up and stood in front of him, covering his cheeks with her palms. “You are beautiful.”

After taking another deep breath to steel her resolve, she bent down, and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. And another on his cheek, and then on his other. The second time she kissed his lips, he responded out of instinct, tugging at her lower lip, and wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer between his legs.

He had not pursed his lips, allowing her an easy entry to let her feel every crevice of his mouth, but not responding in kind. Yona didn't mind. She pushed him down the bed and climbed on top of him, with both her knees on each side. His hands slid down to her ankles.

When she pushed forward again to cover his face with another flurry of kisses, his hands slipped upwards until he felt the resistance of the fabric and realized he was clutching her thighs. He froze.

Sensing his reluctance, she whispered, “You can go higher.”

Shin-ah slowly moved his hands to caress her thighs, and she amused herself with his neck, tickling it with soft pecks. She rolled his shirt up, exposing more skin to the cold air. He hardly resisted as she removed it, one sleeve at a time. Her breath tickled him, and he bit his lips without realizing he was holding his breath. She came back to his collarbone, nibbling on it. She could now feel his chest, pressing against her breasts, gently rising and falling.

His breath hitched, as he pushed his hands further to grasp her ass. His hesitance was now fading, confronted with Yona's own willingness, and his own primal instincts.

She sat upright, and took his right arm and pulled it back to her front. Wondering if he had done something wrong, he pulled the other back, but she stopped him, holding his wrist and directing it back to her behind. “It feels nice."

She then guided his hand towards her sash, and he tugged on it. With a pull, the robe came apart to reveal her bare breasts, and she shrugged it off, now nude. Shin-ah didn't avert his eyes like he would have before, and stared at them as an uncomfortable feeling rose in his pants.

“Touch them,” she coaxed him, as she busied herself with untangling the strings that held together his pants. “Touch them both.”

His diffidence was momentary, and disappeared as soon as he felt her. He was so fixated with her breasts, cupping them in his palm, rubbing her nipple and feeling it perk up between his thumb and forefinger, that he didn’t feel her removing his pants until he felt her sweaty fingers touching his member. It had stood upright, looking bigger than he had ever seen it. He glanced at it and blushed, remembering the drawings in the books before.

She crawled downwards until her breasts were out of reach, and she bent once more to kiss his member. He clenched the bed sheet beneath him, desperate to grasp anything when he felt her tongue on his member.

He felt his heartbeat race as she kissed the whole length of his member, and then slid her tongue around it, studying each of his veins. She then took him in her mouth, as he felt her teeth barely touching it as she rolled him.

He moaned as quietly as he could, but his groans still got increasingly louder each time she went down the length. She continued her ministrations until he swell and made it impossible for her to breath. Stopping, she went back to stroking it with her fingers. He was sensitive to touch, like all the rest. She thought it was the fastest way to arouse him, and that was all that occupied her thoughts at the moment.

“I can’t,” he said, out of breath. Satisfied, she climbed higher, and then taking his hand, she placed it on her sex. Still looking intently at her, as her chest rose with each breath, he felt her along her sex, a couple of fingers down the length and up again, as he chanced upon touching the nub which made her tremble.

“Stroke it," she requested. Her own fingers brushing against his chest.

He stroked her, in one direction, and then the other. After a few minutes, he ran his fingers down to her entrance, feeling her get wetter. He thought hard as he tried to remember what to do next, but he could hardly think as sensations overwhelmed him. She couldn’t balance herself on her knees, and relied on his other palm that had been supporting her. He rubbed his thumb on her swollen clit, and she felt herself spasm and whimpered. She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

He nodded, with his golden eyes now hazy with lust – restraint forgotten, the books forgotten - a desire, not quite like anything he had felt before, taking their place. He guided her as she lowered herself, and entered, causing her to cry out.

He felt her tighten around his length, as she bobbed on top of him. No longer feeling sane, she asked him to go faster incoherently - as she felt herself reaching closer to orgasm. Each time he pushed himself in, Yona felt the tug deep in as the fire in her abdomen grew, and at once it melted. She felt him push inside her, his hand on the small of her back which was now drenched in sweat. She closed her eyes, and held herself together loosely, relying on him to retain the rhythm.

Shin-ah was at his limit, and with another thrust, he finally released himself. She fell over his chest, her face on her shoulder. He felt her weight on his chest and he took a deep breath, inhaling her intoxicating scent. He could vaguely feel her own release over his thighs, intermixed with his.

He adjusted himself, moving her in a way which allowed both of them to breathe. He wanted to hug her, but held her just enough to keep her stable. Finally, after a long time, she lifted her head, and he noticed her red curls stuck on her forehead.

“Shin-ah,” Yona stuttered. “Thank... you.”

Shin-ah, feeling her arms tremble, caught her and helped her lie down next to him.

“Sleep. I am here,” she assured him once her voice returned to her, and he soon drifted off to sleep, looking at her.

He woke up when the sun was high next morning – having slept better than he had ever done before, but he could see no trace of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yona is a joy to write because of how resilient she is, but Shin-ah was really tough to decipher. Next update up in a few hours.


	5. Apricot (Zeno)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was much better than I expected it to be.

**Chapter 5: A pricot (Zeno)**

Yona had been preparing for bed when she heard the knock on her door. ‘It wasn’t supposed to be today,’ she thought as she opened the door, expecting to meet a messenger or a guard. Instead, she was greeted by Zeno.

She stood aside, as he entered, a strained smile on his face. Was he hurt? Was he sad? What was he feeling – she didn’t know. Would he even tell her? And why was he here today?

Before she could ask him, she heard a clink. Zeno had placed a couple of bottles – liquor? He slumped on the chair. She thought she saw his smile disappearing for a moment, but was soon greeted with a grin.

“Hello, miss!” He said, his voice a pitch higher than usual. “Care for a drink?”

“Zeno, why are you here today?” She finally asked him. The question had been bothering her ever since he had entered the room.

“It was getting a bit stuffy, and there was no one to share a glass with me,” he said, in an equally bright voice - fake, lifeless, but chirpy.

“Not even Jae-ha?” She asked, but the question died at her lips.

Getting through him was impossible. He put up this facade to avoid heavy questions, and they rarely got anything out of him…until he was drunk. That was the main reason why Yoon, despite his aversion to alcohol, never bothered to stop them. Zeno would either fall asleep or babble occasionally, talking about either banana shaped clouds or his late wife.

He poured the wine in two glasses, and motioned one towards her. “You need it more than I do,” he told her. Nodding, she took a sip and placed it on the table. He drank in silence, unwilling to talk. Yona didn’t push him.

Resolved to give him time open up, she turned the leftover wine in her glass around – wondering what flavor it was – she was never a big fan of alcohol. Hak never drank when she did so he could keep guard, so she avoided it as well.

Zeno's cheeks now red, she just stared at his hands as their movements gradually became uncertain – an hour passed, or two? She didn’t mind. The alcohol helped her forget the strain too.

“You know, miss,” Zeno finally said, “We are adding a swing in the garden this time around.”

“Oh,” replied Yona.

“Swings are nice,” he continued. “They go up and down and up and down, and up and down – well, somewhat like life, don’t you think?”

Not waiting for an answer, he again said, “It gets tiring after a while, miss. It just repeats and repeats, and it is not so fun anymore.”

“It would still be fun sometimes?” She asked. She still missed their old life, the forests, the meals, the laughter. The throne never mattered to her, not in front of the cloudless nights, the scent of moist woods after rains, and the comforting snore of Hak asleep next to her. His breath in her hair, his hand beneath her head.

“It is fun when your best friend comes to play...but they never stay for long,” he mumbled. “You feel like the whole day won’t be enough but they don’t even stay an hour.”

Kaya. She remembered. The only person he had ever fallen in love with in last two thousand years. Which era was she from? How did she look? How did her voice sound? She wondered, but had no way of asking him, at least not in these circumstances.

“I hate swings, miss,” Zeno said tearfully. “I wish they would just break but they don’t.”

It was the first time she had ever seen him cry, so she was startled. She couldn’t stay still anymore, and rushed to his side. She wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him. He didn’t hug back, he just sobbed, and she felt his tears soaking her robe.

“Will this...will this help you?” She inquired quietly after he had calmed down.

“Ik-soo tells me it should, but I don’t know… I don’t know if I can. "His heart was breaking into pieces.

“Let’s end this nightmare here,” she replied, drinking the leftover wine in one swig. It had to end today itself. The sooner they forgot it, the better.

She held his hand and brought him over to the bed. She sat down next to him. He refused to meet her eyes.

“Consider me her,” she said, getting tipsy.

"Consider me her and do whatever you feel like.”

His head was too muddled to respond properly, so he simply let his instincts take over, hoping they were not his own. Stroking her fingers, he pushed her on the bed and kissed her fervently. It had been hundreds of years since he had felt a woman’s wet lips, and the feeling drove him crazy. He closed his eyes, hoping he was touching dark brown locks and not crimson.

The rest of the moments were a blur for both of them. Zeno’s scarf, now thrown to the floor, and Yona’s robe, sliding down to her waist. It was not the slow, soft lovemaking she had gotten used to. He was not in his senses, and he could not be. His longing for _her_ and his passion towards her coupled with his desperation to get rid of his curse made him rougher than he would have ever wanted to be.

Feeling his intense emotions, with each desperate kiss on her lips and every bite on her own skin, she stayed true to her word. She remained at the receiving end, feeling him satisfy himself with exploring every inch of her body. She felt his hand on her waist, and she had hazy memories of helping him disrobe – but she didn’t remember anything except the faint smell of wet mud he always seemed to carry around himself.

Zeno was drunk – but every time Yona moaned under him, it killed him inside. It wasn’t who he wanted it to be, but he still felt the urge to move, and he couldn't stop. He had come too far.

He allowed her hands to explore him briefly, once undressed, but swiftly took over the pace again. He was not considerate and careful, but it was for the better. She couldn’t imagine looking into his eyes as she held onto him, and she was sure he thought the same. If she opened her eyes, she’d not be able to continue. While she genuinely felt the desire of others to love and cherish her, from Zeno, all she felt was despair.

In some strange sense, she felt like he understood her better than anyone else did. They both were compelled by the wiles of fate into forsaking the one they loved. For Zeno, it was permanent. For her, she didn't want to think.

She felt his soft palms bracing her hips as he entered her, once, then twice. She felt her heartbeat pounding in her head, anticipating building the desire within her abdomen, pooling and flowing out, as she felt herself convulse. All she could hear was a faint grunt after which he rolled off to the other side of the bed. She covered herself with the blanket, now unable to stay conscious anymore. It didn’t matter if it was alcohol or the freedom, now that she had fulfilled the wretched commandment.

Zeno had woken up earlier than she had, and lay in bed. His head was pounding, but it was finally done – and he was relieved. He looked at her sleeping face and felt miserable.

Zeno had been distraught, but the truth was that his wife was long gone. She wasn’t there anymore, and she would not be coming back. She wouldn’t feel hurt, and she was too sweet to expect him to drown himself in her memories over centuries.

He had never forgotten how she felt under his fingers, the curve of her back, the shape of her palm pressed into his neck – her petite frame so different from Yona’s own. Her smell – like medicine and warm fire all at once. He had been so afraid of forgetting her all his life, but he didn’t. He felt so thankful he could cry.

Yona, on the other hand, was stronger than he was. He knew how terrible she felt, to do this to someone she loved so much – while he was alive, and breathing, and out there to protect their kingdom in his own way. He had no idea how she had done it, how the mister had taken it...

All Zeno knew was that if they couldn’t reconcile, the guilt would hound him for the rest of his life – whatever was remaining, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it so far. I promise the last two chapters would be better. See you next week!


	6. Wine (Hak)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note: Chapter 6 and 7 can be read independently from rest of the story if you know the gist, so if you are someone who avoided the story because you were uncomfortable with the premise, you can still read this if just for the smut. The angst might not come through, though.
> 
> For the newcomers: I basically just needed a reason to write smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was way less dramatic than originally planned, but I think it suits the story more.

**Chapter 6: Wine (Hak)**

The weather was getting warmer, but the rebellion continued. The main areas of the capital had already been renovated and the people relocated to outskirts, It was an impressive feat to complete in two months of taking over the throne, so it helped quell some criticism as well.

They took the opportunity to expand the central capital and its market, and the gardens were already filled with tiny shrubs. All of this could only be possible due to Jae-ha’s efforts, who had been keeping rebels under control with help of Ogi.

The administration was on track under Yoon, and now that he was not swamped with work, he could join the meetings. It made them pretend nothing was out of place, something everyone was grateful for.

The meetings usually went off without a hitch, but whatever rapport they had managed to sustain came crashing down the night Jae-ha revealed an unsettling letter he had received.

“The rebels in Saika province are under control,” he informed. “However, there has been a sudden increase in forces in the east, so Ha-, the principal commander has left for Fuuga.”

“It is alright,” Kija told him with a dry smile. “I am sure he can manage it.”

Jae-ha didn’t return the sentiment, and uncertainty was visible on his face. Yona raised an eyebrow, sensing unease. In a split second, she thought of every single thing that could have gone wrong.

“I...wouldn’t be so sure,” Jae-ha replied after a pause. “They seem to be smuggling arms from Xing. We have reports that some of Xing’s corrupt officials are involved and the investigation is underway. We can trust them.”

“Is he getting enough funds?” She asked.

“He’s getting all the help possible from the state treasury, but it is not much. It has been drained due to the reconstruction of the capital, and we have not been able to collect taxes this year because of the rebellion,” answered Yoon, the bureaucratic lexicon rolling off his tongue.

“What about the royal privy purse?” As far as she knew, Soo-won had left it untouched.

“We cannot use those funds,” Yoon replied. “It is essential for stability of the monarch, as a contingency fund and-”

“This _is_ a contingency, Yoon,” Yona spat out, anger brimming inside her.

“I’m sorry, your majesty, but we cannot use it. Your reign is still young, if I may say so, and if you use your private funds to assist Hak, it might set tongues wagging,” Yoon retorted.

Yona had mastered the stone-faced look. It made the officials tremble when she glared at them, and they were much less likely to make mistakes. Rage made people tattle, she knew, and the officials were standing right outside the room.

Yoon continued. “We don’t want the public find a reason to dismiss you so soo-”

“Do I look like I care?” She asked him, her voice as cold as ice, and her knuckles white from clutching the documents. She tried really hard to keep calm, but it didn’t work. He was at risk. He was at risk and they were thinking about hoarding the funds.

“Calm down, Yoon,” Jae-ha intervened before Yoon had a chance to reply. “Your majesty, Yoon is right. I will personally leave to assist him but-”

Rage made people tattle, she repeated to herself, but somewhere along the way, she stopped listening.

“It is an official order,” she snarled, standing up and making everyone hastily rise right after, “All the funds of the privy purse will be provided to the principal commander, Son Hak, to use as he wishes. Auction the royal jewels for daily expenses.

Dumbfounded, no one dared to reply. Yoon bit his lips, and the rest of them held their breaths as she took off her crown and threw it on the table.

“Even this, if required,” she snapped. “I don’t need such fancy trinkets to rule. They touch one hair on his head, and this darned country can burn down for all I care.”

After another pause, Yona questioned. “Any objections?”

She glanced at each of them, one by one, for several seconds.

“Dismissed,” Yona said, and stomped out, leaving the upturned crown on table for all of them to stare at.

The officials outside were too terrified to even greet her, so they just bowed and hoped she didn’t notice them. She couldn’t care less. Now that she was walking in the corridors alone, her eyes began to sting. She barely managed to hold back her tears until she had reached her chambers. As soon as she closed the door behind her, her knees gave way and she tumbled on the cold stone floor, and broke into desperate, quiet sobs. Hours passed before she could find the will to drag herself to bed.

The next morning, Yona finished her morning court duties early and took the time off to visit the shrine. She was troubled, and supposed that the temple would calm her down. She was also a dragon, right?

She opened the door to find Ik-soo praying in front of the idols, with his hands folded. Not willing to disturb him, she stood there, observing the various engravings on the walls, depicting the descent of King Hiryuu and his meeting with the four dragons in their original forms. Last time she had been there was a couple of months ago. While she was filled with awe at the sight of the gold embellishments that adorned this room, a sharp contrast to the ruins outside, her reverence had quickly been replaced by repulsion on finding the scroll.

Ik-soo handled whatever formalities were needed at the end of the ‘ritual’. A fine euphemism for this dastardly thing.

“Empress,” he said, with his back still towards her. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”

She wanted to laugh, and then cry. What was she supposed to say?

‘Mention not.’

‘No problem.’

‘It was my duty.’

She always complained about how much she hated this red hair, and look how right she was. She chuckled, bitterly.

“Please take this,” Ik-soo told her, walking towards her and handing her a chalice, filled to the brim with a violet concoction.

“What is this?” She questioned, the acrid stench getting to her.

“It might help you forget the feelings of the… those nights,” replied Ik-soo. “The gods aren’t merciful, but they are vulnerable to flattery.”

“Was this what kept you busy all this time?” Yona asked, noticing his pale face.

He smiled weakly. He had been fasting for the past two months, so the strain had been getting to him. Yona had been informed about it, but she refused to see him. She resented him. He knew what he was putting her through, and instead of looking for a solution, he had been busying himself with prayers like a mad man.

“Thank you,” she said, humbled.

“You will remember the events, but not the feelings.” he confirmed again. It was the only thing he could manage. “But if I understand anything about the human psyche, it is that memories disappear quickly if there are no emotions to bind them.”

“That would be enough. Thank you,” she repeated.

He smiled at her again and went back to his prayer mat, where he knelt for another round of chanting.

She drank the liquid. It was bitter, and left her tongue numb. Nothing mattered as long as she could forget the feeling of bedding someone who wasn’t _him,_ and so she drained the whole cup.

She bowed before the idols, something she had never done before.

* * *

It wasn’t until another month passed by did Jae-ha finally receive any good tidings. Hak had crushed the rebellion, and would be returning. Not waiting for the evening, he rushed off to the office to inform Yona.

Yona, who had been drowning herself further in work to keep herself from getting too restless, heard the door open, and looked up.

“Don't you know how to knock?” she thundered. Her head throbbed, and the last thing she needed was a bone-headed official to discipline.

“Hak’s coming back,” Jae-ha rambled. He had gotten used to her temper these days, but she was still intimidating. “It will take a fortnight, but he’s on his way.”

The change in her countenance was dramatic. Her eyes widened, and she couldn’t get a word out as she stared at him incredulously.

“It’s true,” he said, as he handed her the letter he received from the man himself.

She examined the letter, trying her best to focus on the rushed scrawls, the lack of formalities, so characteristic of him. She nodded.

“I understand,” she said, “Make immediate arrangements for his return.”

She got up, as her legs trembled under her weight. She was tired, but she had to go.

“I have to go,” she mumbled to Jae-ha who had been quietly observing her. “I have to get the command center organized.”

“I will do that,” Jae-ha told her, as he rushed to assist her while she staggered across the room.

That was the last thing she heard before she blacked out.

* * *

“I kept my mouth shut because of you all,” Yoon scowled, as he prepared another set of cold compresses.

“Anyone could see the stress was getting to her. Why didn’t any of you help her out?” He demanded, angrily.

The dragons looked at each other, their tongues tied. He sighed.

“Look, it has been ten days, and the fever is not subsiding. I will put it clearly – she’s going to die at this rate.”

“She will not,” Ik-soo said, sternly, appearing out of nowhere. He hadn’t stepped outside the shrine since she had fainted. “I will see to that, Yoon-kun.”

“At least help me with the work if you don’t want her to wake up to another rebellion,” Yoon snapped to the rest, unwilling to argue with Ik-soo.

The dragons scampered after him. Since she had refused any visits, it was useless staying here and hounding the maids for information.

Hak had not been informed of her condition. He was told she was resting in her chamber, the standard answer the guards gave everyone, so he rushed to the private palace. When he saw everyone waiting for him at the patio, he was taken aback.

The scroll was the first thing that came to his mind – something he had pushed deep inside his head to deal with later.

“Finally,” said Yoon, sighing.

“What’s the matter?” Hak approached them, apprehensive.

“The mental strain got to her,” Jae-ha replied. “There was so much work and...other things happened...”

“I need to see her.” Hak stammered. Why had he not been told? He’d have come sooner, he’d have rushed here-

“Do you want to make her more sick?” Yoon roared, stopping him in his tracks – he had been rushing towards her room. “How long has it been since you took a bath? Wash yourself first.”

Hak washed himself quickly, and was in front of her room when he saw Ik-soo. Hak didn’t want to see him. She did everything that he had, or the gods had demanded, and yet they left her to suffer like that.

Hak tried avoiding him, but Ik-soo blocked his way.

“What now?” Hak questioned, clearly irritated.

“Just do whatever she wants,” he said, just loud enough for him to hear.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” replied Hak, narrowing his eyes. He will never trust them ever again.

“Only you can help her now. Please,” Ik-soo urged him.

Hak didn’t care to respond, and went inside the room, closing the door quietly after himself. Yona was breathing heavily, covered with a thin muslin.

“Princess,” Hak whispered gently, walking towards her. She was naked, he noticed. The fabric clung to her body.

She didn’t reply. He clutched her hand. “Princess.”

Yona felt his cold hand on hers. Still unaware, a wave of relief ran through her body.

“Princess,” he said loudly, furrowing his brows. “Princess.”

Yona had heard the door shut, but she couldn’t focus. She squinted her eyes, but could see nothing but a blurry figure standing by her bed. Was it one of the maids?

“Yona,” he whispered, desperate to hear her response. She was burning up.

His voice brought her to the reality.

“Hak?” She asked.

His assent was all she need, and she tugged his hand with all her strength. He stumbled. He grasped the bedpost to balance himself, trying not to fall on her.

“Hak,” she murmured, tearing up, her palms weakly pulling him down for a hug. Her memories were clouded, and she felt weak. She didn’t know what day it was, where she was, but if she could feel his breath by her neck, she didn’t care.

“Princess,” Hak mumbled, trying to get up. She held him tightly.

“No,” she pleaded. “Don’t go.”

His arm was getting numb, so he forced himself out of her grasp. “I am not going anywhere. I am here. Just give me a moment.”

He slid next to her on the bed. He put an arm around her, holding his head up by another. She had gotten weaker, he thought, looking at her exposed shoulders.

“No,” she whimpered. Yona was unsatisfied by the scarce skin contact. She turned towards him to hug him tightly. Hak was taken by surprise. The sudden movement had exposed her breasts, but she didn’t mind. The warmth made him think of something – but he immediately shunned those thoughts. She was sick, and that...that could wait.

It was almost as if she wanted to torture him. He felt a small pull when she undid his sash, and wrapped her arms around his bare skin. She was warm, too warm. Her bare breasts against his chest, her leg pushed on top of his. He felt his pulse quicken, and his blood surged in his loins.

“Princess,” he coaxed her, unable to bear it any longer, and tried to pull away.

She didn’t let him, however. Each time he tried untangling himself, she whined and protested. He finally gave up, and let her hug him as much as she wanted. He stroked her back, comforting her – while trying to forget about the primal urges that plagued his mind.

Yona, on the other hand, had been feeling better already. He was here. _He was here_. She was still tired – but touching him felt so good. She could hear his heart beat faster when she held him tighter, and slow down when she loosened her grip. She ran her hands around his back, and his chest, looking for any scars. She was satisfied only when she confirmed he had returned unscathed.

“Princess,” Hak muttered when he felt her smile against his chest. “I know you are awake.”

Yona blushed, caught red handed, and pulled away, finally meeting his eyes.

“I thought you were seriously sick,” he said. “I was so worried.”

“I was,” she mumbled, her hands refusing to leave his chest alone. “I was sick but I am feeling better now.”

“Are you sure?” He asked her, touching her forehead. It was warm, but not as much as it was a couple of hours ago.

“Yes, yes, I am all better, but...”

Hak raised an eyebrow. She kissed him for a brief moment.

“I just wanted to do this.” She whispered.

“Dear princess,” he said, leaning towards her. “You just had to ask.”

He bit her lower lip, seeking permission and proceeded to ravage her mouth. He had been missing her, and the last few hours had been even harder on him. He covered her face with kisses, making up for every day he wasn’t there, every night he spent alone. He had been thoroughly enjoying himself when he felt Yona’s fingers on his member. She had taken advantage of his preoccupation, and slid her hands down to his region.

He pulled back and saw her smirking while stroking him. She was slow at first, but then covered it with her hands.

“Not today,” he whispered through his teeth, trying to control a moan. “Get better first.”

“But I am alright now,” she replied. She didn’t give him time to respond as she bent lower and kissed it.

“Princess – not right now,” he cajoled her, running his fingers through her hair, wanting to dissuade her. “You will get sick again.”

“I won’t,” she assured him as she licked it across the length. “Trust me.”

She wrapped her mouth around him.

“Yona, you really shouldn’t,” he grunted, feeling his self control erode like a sand castle caught in a sea wave. He had been resisting her for too long and he was at his limit, and his fingers were uselessly clinging to her hair.

Satisfied after another roll, she turned towards his face.

She asked cheekily. “Are you alright? You seem a bit trou-”

Hak couldn’t take anymore, and grabbed her hands. Swiftly, he pinned them over her head. He climbed on top of her and locked her legs between his knees. Now trapped, she giggled.

“Is this what you wanted?” He growled, leaning towards her.

She simpered. “Took you long enough.”

“Princess,” he warned her, huskily. “You have brought this on yourself.”

“Try me,” she whispered, a smug look on her face.

He bit her below her ear, and then he ravished her now swollen lips, sucking on her tongue. He busied himself with her breasts, squeezing them one after the other. She felt her pulse rise, as he massaged them, slowly at first, and then roughly. Kissing her navel, and her breasts, eliciting a moan out of her every time his lips swirled over her nipples.

“I wanted…you...for so long,” Yona stuttered, her senses going wild - Hak was not going to give her a break.

“Only you,” she said again, feeling his tongue on her sternum. She didn’t want him to doubt her, not for a second did she want anyone else.

“You are mine,” he told her, marking her breasts with his teeth.

“Only mine,” he said, biting her neck, leaving a mark for the whole palace to stare at the next day.

He flicked her clit around with his fingers, still pinning her against the bed with one arm. She shuddered.

“Hak,” she mewled. “Hak I-”

He brought both his hands down by her sides, sliding her thighs upwards, leaving her sex defenseless. His hands now free, he bent down, taking her swollen clit between his lips and rolled it around. He sucked her, his hands holding her legs apart, as her back arched under him with every assault. She trembled under him, her hands clutching his shoulders.

Hak, after he was satisfied with how close she was to climax, moved upwards, meeting her lips again. He pulled her thighs apart once more, but this time he paused.

“Hak,” she whimpered, her eyes hazy with lust, and her palms grasping his shoulder, pulling him down. Hak, however, held back, with a wolfish grin spreading across his face.

“Princess,” Hak said, as he brushed the edge of his member at her entrance. “I just noticed you have red hair down there too.”

“Hak, you!” She screeched, swiftly covering her sex with her hands. He immediately tugged her hands aside, entwining his fingers with hers.

“Why hide it now?” He asked, staring into her eyes. “I think I’ve seen it all.”

Yona turned bright red, acutely aware of the desire pooling between her legs, growing wetter every moment. Hak was loving how to tease her, and the more he drawled, the more desperate she became.

“You know,” he whispered to her, barely holding back his urge to claim her. “I thought of you every single night I was lying alone in the camp.”

Yona held her breath as his breath against her ears.

“Don’t think you can ever get rid of me,” he told her. His member brushed her nether lips.

Yona couldn’t find words so she bit his shoulder to register her assent, which made Hak chuckle.

“I didn’t ask her for permission,” he responded, and entered her without waiting for a reply. He drowned her moans with kisses, and she tried to grab him, but his hands were pressed firmly down on hers. She was at his mercy, and she loved every moment of it.

His length swelled inside her with each thrust deeper into her. She could feel him breath, his smell – of soap and nights in the forest, and the overwhelming scent of his sweat. He slowed and then quickened his pace abruptly, teasing her. She felt her heart beating in her ears, as pleasure ravaged her body. She tensed, and Hak felt her sex pulse, tightening around her. She felt his breaths quicken, hardly warning her a moment before she felt his warmth releasing inside her.

He fell on top of her, barely holding himself up by his arms. Their hands slipped and she finally managed to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close for a kiss. The kiss was hardly intense, but it felt so intimate now that lust didn’t rule their actions. He felt exhaustion, mental and physical, set in. It had been months since he had slept properly. He could feel her lips, soft, on his and that’s all he wanted for now.

He leaned to a side, once she finally loosened her hold. Once his breaths slowed down, he glanced outside the window. The sky was now darkening, the blue settling in for the night. He felt Yona shift next to him, nuzzling against his chest. Now that the adrenaline rush had subsided, he expected her to fall asleep. Her forehead wasn't as warm anymore, and she didn't look that tired.

“Hak,” Yona said, interrupting his thoughts. “I am sorry for everything.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he said, playing the her crimson curls. As if he’d lose her to a stupid commandment.

“Still – I… I don’t know how to make up for it,” she told him. “I would do anything to make it better.”

“Anything?” He asked, bending down and breathing in her hair.

“Anything,” she confirmed.

“Well then...” Hak said, holding her tighter. “Get better… then we’ll go on a picnic in the forest behind the castle.”

“But Hak...we don’t have that anymore,” she said, remorsefully.

“What?”

“We relocated the people there to build a bigger market.”

“What about the grasslands in the east of the city?” He suggested.

“We are developing that into a park...” she said, sheepishly.

“Is there nowhere left to go? Somewhere private? Where we can take a stroll or something?”

Yona thought for a moment.

“We have the royal garden. There are no trees yet, but they have planted flowers. The shrubs should be big enough now.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go with that.” He sighed. There goes his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is almost complete! Epilogue next!


	7. Epilogue - Wildberries

**Epilogue: Wildberries**

“Are you guys really going to leave?” Hak asked.

“Why? Do you want to come with us?” Jae-ha smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Hak scoffed. “Look – I… I don’t mind, whatever happened… during that time. She – You had no choice. Don’t leave.”

“It is not you,” Jae-ha mocked him. “ _It is me._ ”

Shin-ah, who had been folding his clothes quietly, snickered.

Jae-ha continued. “It is the first time we are free to go as far as we want, no longer bound to the castle. Do you think I’d give that up to watch you newly-weds snuggle in the library?”

Hak, blushing, denied. “We weren’t snuggl-”

“Of course. You guys were studying _so_ diligently that Yoon got jealous and threw you out!” Kija quipped, entering the room with a jar of dried herbs.

Another giggle, this time from Zeno slouching on the window sill.

“Well then,” Hak retorted, “Have fun snuggling with the mosquitoes instead, white snake.”

“This is what it is for,” he said, holding up the bottle. “Not all of us are as unprepared as someone who proposed to the mighty empress of this huge kingdom, with... what was it again?”

“A sunflower – not even a rose,” Zeno huffed. “Mister plucked it from my garden right then and there.”

“He got lucky that she is so into him,” Jae-ha chipped in. “I’ve given better presents on my pretend dates.”

A touch of color rose to his cheeks, and he took a hasty leave as the rest burst into roars of laughter.

* * *

“Well,” Yona remarked, putting down the proposal. “I guess it is good enough.”

The young official, who had been holding his breath, finally took a sigh of relief. “Thank you, your majesty, I will prepare a survey team right away.”

He hurried away. Yona finally took a break and got up to stretch herself. While she’d still pick the forest in a heartbeat, her life right now wasn’t so bad. The workload had lessened once the country calmed down, and it didn’t take her much time to get the basics down.

She walked around the table, wanting to take a stroll in the garden. Hak entered the office right then, still flustered from all the teasing.

“Hak – you are finally here!” Yona exclaimed. “There’s a proposal for Fuuga and I wanted your help.”

“Oh? What is it about?” He asked her, walking towards her.

“It’s about a port...but before that, why are your cheeks so red?” She questioned.

“You know, princess...” He always called her that when he wanted her. “Everyone knows about the thing from yesterday.”

“You mean the library thing?” She blushed.

He put his hands on her waist. “Uh-huh. Does that bother you?”

“People will talk,” She mumbled, stepping back, until the desk stopped her. She climbed on the table, still facing Hak, but the hard wooden rim prodded her legs. Hak saw her wince for a moment and quickly slipped his hands between her and the edge, riding her skirt up and cupping her thighs in the process.

“You know what makes them stop talking?” He asked.

“What?” She whispered, her eyes fixated on his lips.

“Give them something else to talk about,” he replied, and kissed her.

“Hak,” Yona purred, grabbing his pants to pull him closer. There were days when she’d stop him here, but not today.

“There, there, empress – eager, aren’t you?”

“Shut up,” she said, lying with her back down on the table. He nuzzled her neck, his breath tickling her ears.

“Your majesty, I have prepared another irrigation pla-” Yoon froze on the spot, appalled even as Hak’s back hid majority of the mischief.

“At least close the damned door!” He yelled, his face turning bright pink as he fled the scene.

“What will we do when we come back?” Kija asked, watching Yoon scurrying away. “Doesn’t sound like they have much work to do.”

“I am sure they’d be needing a nanny soon.” Jae-ha replied, shaking his head, with a soft smile on his lips. 

Yoon’s scream had brought Yona back to reality. She surveyed her surroundings. Hak didn’t really care, and covered her palms in kisses instead.

“Hak!” Yona squealed as soon as she realized that most of the official documents were strewn on the floor. Yoon would kill her, even more so now that he knew what they had been up to.

“Oh come on, dear,” Hak said, swooping down for another kiss. “They are a mess anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as a gratuitous smut fantasy, and here we are at the end of it.
> 
> This was a controversial topic too – so close to polyandry, but also not. Forced infidelity? Perhaps. It might have made you uncomfortable, but I hope you can understand Yona.
> 
> I...I really think Wiles of Fate, in essence, is an ode to Hak. Yona's breakdown, Jae-ha's meeting with him, Shin-ah's reluctance, Zeno's monologue, Kija leaving the palace... everything boils down to how much they hate to hurt Hak, and he's always their priority.
> 
> I think I should also mention that it is (very) loosely based on married life of the Mahabharata heroine, Draupadi, and her five husbands, but that's just a harem till the end of time and this has Hak(Arjuna) ending. Of course, with a more feminist tint to it.
> 
> If you guys feel like you need to see some fluff after this or you want to know how all the characters are faring, you can read my other fluffy fanfictions “Honey” and “Adorable"(written as a vague sequel to this), which are essentially post-canon. I’ll be updating Adorable in a few days with more scenarios as well, and some of them might relate to this!
> 
> Thanks a lot for reading this and for all the kudos/comments! See you next time!
> 
> TTK

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!


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